Lawo mc²96 console debuts for Rock in Rio festival broadcast

The TV broadcast of Brazil’s Rock in Rio festival saw the first use of a Lawo mc²96 Grand Production Console at a large-scale music event.

With an audience of 45 million viewers across Brazil, broadcaster Globosat used the mc²96 console as part of a rental package of equipment, support and training, provided by Lawo for the event. The first mc²96 sale had been made prior to Rock in Rio, with two consoles having been purchased by Viacom Media Networks (USA).

Rock in Rio 2017 was staged over ten days in the Barra Olympic Park in Rio, and included Guns N’ Roses, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Bon Jovi.

“In 2015, we made the first live broadcast with 4K and Atmos to some of our viewers and this time we’re trying new mixing ideas, positioning some instruments in 3D with very interesting results,” explained Gabriel Thomazini, co-ordinator of audio at Globosat.

Through system integrator and Lawo partner LineUp Broadcast Systems, Lawo provided Globosat with a 40-fader mc²96 fitted with Ravenna, AES and MADI Cards, along with a sample rate converter and a compact core for the console. The setup was able to take advantage of a Globosat structure resulting from the company’s involvement in the Summer Olympics broadcast from the Barra Olympic Park last year.

“For the Rock in Rio festival, we developed a specific workflow with a remote mixing room at our headquarters, 14km away,” Thomazini continues. “We received 128 input channels from the Mundo stage and 64 from the Sunset stage – we chose which stage we wanted to mix just by changing productions. For transport, we used Lawo V_link [video-over-IP transporters] and Ravenna-based streams.”

The broadcast audio console has been going through a period of evolution over the last ten years. While it is unlikely to change out of all recognition, it is undergoing some fundamental rethinking and development